Training our SAT students to have a growth mindset

Our SAT prep, both in class and in our seminars, differs in many ways from those run by franchises such as Kaplan and Princeton Review.  One of the bigger ways relates to the psychological shifting that occurs through my mini-lectures.

Explaining the Growth versus the Fixed Mindset in the context of test prep has been one of the lectures that seem to last with students. In quick summary, those with a growth mindset believe that success comes from their efforts. Those with a fixed mindset believe that success comes from their innate talents. Of course, we all are a mix of the two.  But in relation to test prep, our students will sometimes come to me and say “I’m a bad test-taker.” I explain that they are untrained test takers and that I will train them to be better.  They nod but only believe after they have gone through our class and then they believe.

Since my three children are now a bit older, my wife and go out to dinner a bit more in the Shoreline area.  Kind parents who spot us often approach with nice things to say about the work we’ve done.  Of late, three separate parents noted that they were delighted about the great improvement their children received from our SAT class.  But each also noted that they appreciated the philosophical shifts they saw in their child.